Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-08-04
T0RNADO'S WORK.
David City, Nebraska, Demolished by
Wind.
Loss Two Hundred thousand Dollars
-.Only One Person kiiled--Great
Damage Done.

COLUMBUS, Neb,, July 30.--News has
just been received here OF terrible dis.
aster wrought by tornado at Divid City,
yesterday evening. The day had been
intensely hot. In fact. the thermometer
registered over six degrees higher than ON
any previous day this year. The occa.
sional gusts of wind which came up from
the south were like blasts from furnace,
and afforded no relief from the burning
rays of the sun. Business was almost
entirely suspended and the streets were
partially deserted. Everybody was en-.
gagged in the vain attempt to keep cool
AS IL drew toward evening the condition
of things was but little better but at this
time few clouds began to roll up in
the southwest, and people began to
feel cheerful at the prospect of rain the
need of which all kinds of vegetation has
been suffering for so long. But this ex.
pectation was doomed to u fearful disap.
pointment, The clouds grew in volume
and rapidly spread along the western
sky. AS they did so they assumed much
darker hue, and 1t was noticed by several
that the appearance of these clouds was
very peculiar. Indeed so wicrd and strange
did they seem that many became alarmed
The clouds seemed to consist of three
strata. Underneath, and close down to
the horizon, was a layer of an orange color,
next to this was one of a light gray tint
while above this was third strata of n
blue black color. Shortly before q o clock
rain began to fail The drops were unusu.
ally large and fell at intervals of several
seconds.
A commercial traveller who was in
David City at the time and who brought
the news to Columbia thus describes the
sequel: II had returned to the hotel from
a grocery store where had been doing
some business and had seated myself on
on the front porch to await supper. The
rain had hardly begun to fall when |
heard loud roaring sound, At first
thought it was made by a train of cars
but it grew louder and rapidly approach.
cd nearer and nearer. Before ! could
make up my mind what IL was | look cd
toward the southwest and the sight that
met my eyes almost made my hair stand
on end. The air was absolutely thick
with beams. boards, shingles and timber
of all descriptions. They danced about
like so many straws in a gust Of wind,
and. to add to the horror of the scene, |
thought | saw human being whirling
about in the midst of 1t. In an Instant
everything was confusion. Men, women
and children were rushing through the
streets like mad, looking for places of
safety. The men were shouting. the
children crying and the women scream.
ing. The scene was simply beyond
description. The cyclone swept every.
thing clear in its path. One man was
Had and nnnthnr rrpohaI ,pInr
piece of falling timber. The ladies OF the
w. q. L. U. were having picnic when
the storm came up. As soon ms the rain
began to fall they tried to gather up their
table cloths and eatables and get undc"
shelter, but before they could do so the
wind struck them. The trees under
which they had spread out the good things
were broken, torn and uprooted in every
direction, and the viands were distributed
oyer fourteen blocks. but strange to say
the ladies, though tumbled along for
quite distance and slightly bruised, were
not seriously injured. The path of the
storm was fully mile wide and il is
thought that about one.half Of the town
is demolished. | only heard of one
fatality, but it is the greatest wonder In
the world il there were not several more.
A perfect shower of missiles thrown by
the whirlwind fell in every part of the
town. Paddock's block was blown to
atoms Rheinhardt's and Churchlrs
stores were leyeled to the ground. The
brick high school building. foundry, the
big brick hotel in course Of erection, the
elevator, the buildings on tho fair
grounds. the b. & NJ. and Union Pacific
depot, and the Methodist and Congrcga-
tional churches, besides large number
of stores and dwelling houses were either
wrecked so they will have to be rebuilt
or else wiped out entirely"
1t is reported that the damage in the
country surrounding the town IS but little
less frightful than that done in David
City itself, which will reach fully $780,.
600.